Meanwhile Payal brought Bharti to Pearl's Restaurant in the early evening after Payal and Bharti shopped for some shoes and handbags respectively. Both of them were quite exhausted. While enjoying the hot, chocolatey brownies, both of them were chatting with each other.
Payal:Mm..hold on there's some chocolate at the edge of your lips..
Bharti:Don't bother wiping...I'll lick it..Yummy yum..(smiled at Payal)
Payal:Gonna miss this beautiful smile...
Bharti:You're talking as if you're going for a long vacation...
Payal:Hehe..waise bhi i'm not going to be in your thoughts..
Bharti:Aha apparently since you're going off with your guy...
Payal:Well woh toh hain...Par tumhare waale kab aayega??Ya phir aa chuka hai??Hhmm??
Bharti:What crap Payal...Bata nahin kiske baarein tum baat kar rahe ho...
Payal:acha??Hhmm..I guess I'm talking about your soulmate described by you and KK...
Bharti:What??
Payal:What what??Don't you realize something Ms Bharti??
Bharti:What?
Payal:tHere's a guy whom both of us know...He cares a lot for you, gets anxious over you, respects you a lot, helps you out in your problems without expecting anything in return, erm..loves bugging you..
Bharti:Who??
Payal:Oh come on Bharti I've given you so many clues yaar...
Bharti:Wohoho..Don't get started with the Armaan nonsense again..Stop it will you??
Payal:Kyun??Isn't it true??
Bharti:No it isn't and it will not be...
Payal:Why not??I like Armaan...He's a nice guy...
Bharti:You like him??
Payal:(nods in agreement)Yeah...
Bharti:Then I'll do one thing...I'll recommend his name to Bhaskar...He'll do the necessary...
Payal:Duffer kahi ki,,,What's wrong with Armaan??
Bharti:There's nothing wrong with him...
Payal:Toh phir problem kya hai??
Bharti:Problem...problem erm...
Payal:Erm...Kya???
Bharti:Problem mujh mein hain...Happy??He'll never like a girl like me,,and we're often bugging each other and more than anything he's happily attached to Preity...
Payal:Oh come on give me a break..He likes you..
Bharti:As a friend, that's it!!
Payal:Ok tell me something..Would you ever date a guy like Armaan??
Bharti:What??Why would I??
Payal:Armaan mein kya kharaabi hai??Batao mujhe...
Bharti:I don't know yaar..I haven't looked at him that way and i don't intend to...
Payal:Then try looking at him that way...You never know what you're mssing out on...
Bharti:What??Zindagi mein already itni problems chal rahi hai aur tum ho ke...Ek aur problem ko main nyota doo kya??Pyaar naam ka musibat??
Payal:Pyaar ek musibat nahin hoti hain...It is the essence of life...Please ek baar meri baat maan ker dekho...
Bharti:Payal you're crazier than me...
Payal:Ok if Armaan wasn't attached, would you have fallen for him??
Bharti:Look you've gone crazy with your callers who's in love...And you're going nutzz with your show Pyaar Ka Ehsaas...
Payal:Heyy no one talks ill of my fans or my show..
Bharti:Ok sorry meri maa...Well if Armaan was single I don't know...I've never thought of him that way..
Payal:Then give it a thought...(winked at her)..Maybe KK was talking about Armaan after all...That's how I truly feel...
Bharti:Crazy woman...Enjoy your trip...I'm off to home...
Payal:Chal bye...but do think about what I've said!!(smiled at Bharti)
Payal drove hime, listening to some romantic songs. She knew that Bharti's happier only because of Armaan. He had the power of making Bharti smile without herself realizing it. Bharti may not have nitced it herself but whenever both Bharti and Armaan fought with each other, both of them felt hurtful for inflicting pain on the other. Payal felt bad that she couldn't see this earlier but now that she has seen it clearly today when she had learnt of Armaan's eagerness to cheer Bharti up, she couldn't help but smile at Armaan's love for Bharti. Since Payal only wished for Bharti's happiness, she's only happier to know that it is only through Armaan that Bharti's happiness is eternal, and now she had no worries for Bharti's future, and jsut prayed for Armaan's love to be everlasting and for Bharti to realize his love for her and accept it promptly.
Bharti on the other side, felt pretty strange hearing Payal's words. She kept the shopping bags by the bedside and after having a shower, she changed her clothes and thought of making coffee for herself. While she kept the water to boil, she thought of Payal's questions.
"Seriously if Armaan were to be single,would I date him??I mean would I??Now how am I supposed to know that...He's not even single!!!But if he were single, would I even think about it??Arre why would I...He's my friend na??Toh??What's so wrong if I were to date him??Chee...why am I even thinking such??It's disgusting Bharti..He belongs to Preity now...I can't and I shouldn't think like this...What's wrong with me??OMG...What did I just add??Coffee powder or tea powder??Oh shux!!!Uffo Bharti, please stop thinking..You're getting distracted!!!Whatever I've jsut added, I'll drink it...Add sugar and taste it...Phew it's coffee..(shook her head)"
Bharti had black coffee and sat on the sofa. She thought of how Armaan had come in that day while she was typing her personal blog entry on Microsoft word document and how she had trembled. In addition to that she thought of how Armaan had handled her and comforted her when she had felt that no one was with her and she had no idea what to do then. Armaan had always helped her so much whenever she had least expected his help and Payal was right that he cared a lot for her. Bharti couldn;t help but smile, sipping her coffee.
Just then the doorbell rang. Bharti was surprised to see Armaan at her doorstep. Bharti pinched him real hard and he let out a scream.
Armaan:Ouch!!
Bharti:Oops..sorry!!
Armaan:Is this how you greet someone??
Bharti:I'm sorry..I thought you were an illusion cuz I was just thinking about you..
Armaan:Andar aa sakta hoon??
Bharti:Come in..sorry about it!!
Armaan:Hhmm..so someone's thinking about me..Hope yuo weren't cursing me...
Bharti:No i wasn't..Waise will you like something to eat or drink??If so, just help yourself..
Armaan:I so knew it...I was wondering how could you be so merciful to me after all....Just kidding!!
Bharti:Waise what brings you here??All of a sudden??
Armaan:Kyun??Aise hi nahin aa sakta kya??
Bharti:Oh ok..suit yourself...
Armaan:Well what made you remember me??
Bharti:Nothing in particular actually...The help you've done for me without me compelling you to and all..The moral support you've always provided for me just made me smile...
Armaan:Oh my...looks like you're going to curse me now..
Bharti:why would I do that Armaan??
Armaan:Because Amarjeet sir has assigned me and Preity to go for an overseas photo-shoot at Paris tomorrow itself for a period of 3 days..It was his sudden decision..
Bharti's smile promptly faded. She looked at him, feeling a lil sad that Armaan's leaving tomorrow itself. For a reason unknown to her, she couldn't face him and looked away. She sighed and looked at Armaan and smiled weakly at him, biting her tongue slightly. Armaan,meanwhile was trying his best to study her expressions but it only confused him more.
Armaan:Bharti,you ok?
Bharti:Yeah..yeah..so when are you leaving??
Armaan:Tomorrow morning..Just 3 days..but soemhow I'm not really looking forward to an overseas shoot this time round..
Bharti:That's your job, isn't it Armaan??You love your job so why aren't you looking forward to 3 days in Paris??
Armaan:I don't know..Just wish something could stop me from going..(looks intently into Bharti's eyes) Maybe someone could stop me..
Bharti:Amarjeet??
Armaan:Haizz...Anyways just be careful of Gyaan and Vinita..When I come back, we can think of something about your money..We'll definitely get it back, I promise you!!
Bharti:tHanks Armaan..enjoy your trip with your girlfriend!!
Armaan:(rolled his eyes) Bharti I'm not going there to enjoy but to get my work done..
Bharti:When you enjoy what you do, it's no longer called work..You always say this to me and now what??
Armaan:Ok Bharti...I'll enjoy yourself..You take care..I'll miss you..I'll make a move first!!
Bharti:Ok take care..Bye!!
Armaan:Bye!!
Armaan lingered outside for a while and turned to see if Bharti was still there. She smiled at him and waved to him. Both of them, especially Bharti wished that Armaan didn't have to leave for Paris the next day. After Armaan left, Bharti locked the door and leaned against it and thought to herself,
"Why did I feel so different in front of Armaan today and that too after Armaan told me of his sudden trip to Paris..I've never felt this way before..But why did I want to stop him..It's his job..He often has to travel but what's so different??Would I have felt this way if he was accompanied by Jiya or Raj??No I wouldn't..so is this about Preity??But why...
Preity is Armaan's love interest..I should be happy for him..I am happy for him..Yeah right Bharti!!Ok fine I'm not as happy as I ought to be..I wish..no!!!I don't wish that!!No..No!!!Payal,seriously what have you done to me now???I was so happy when I was shopping..Your questions and thoughts just broke my chain of thoughts..I'm so freakin'dead!!!Am I attracted to Armaan??(paused for a while) N-A-H!!!How can that be??No....Just because Payal said so, I can't assume that I'm attracted to Armaan..nah!!!"
KK:So..you're not fond of Armaan??
Bharti:Oh hi KK...Was so expecting your presence...
KK:How unexpected indeed...Answer my question..
Bharti:I'm fond of him..He's a nice guy...
KK:So you like him??
Bharti:He's a great friend..
KK:He's not just a friend..
Bharti:Yeahh..err no!!
KK:What??
Bharti:Ntohing..
KK:Hhmm...someone's in a big dilemma about her close friend becoming more than just a close friend..She's attracted to her clsoe friend..How interesting!!
Bharti:Stop crapping KK..It is nothing as such...
KK:Oh really??
Bharti:Yes!!
KK:I don't think so..You know what I think??Over the next few days you'll see him everywhere..you'll go crazy..You'll think about hima nd his thoughts will occupy your mind..And soon he'll dominate your life in such a way that you'll become reliant on him...
Bharti:Yeah right KK..As if that's gonna happen..
KK:(smiled widely at her) Trust me..it will and Armaan will transform your life for the best..(winked at her)
KK disappeared before Bharti could catch hold of him. Bharti didn't want to believe a single thing which KK had just mentioned but she's worried for KK's predictions had not failed so far and perhaps this was going to be true!!
Meanwhile Armaan was packing and getting his camera cleaned. He wasn't feeling sleepy at all, immersing himself in Bharti's thoughts. He couldn't understand how Bharti involuntarily and indirectly managed to make him vulnerable and helpless despite the decision he took last night to be her friend and that's it!!However he kept getting closer to her. He could have stopped himself today but he didn't. He felt weak in front of her and he realized that he could go to any miles to make her happy and seeing her haappy and cheerful made him the most elated and happy guy on the planet. He just knew one thing; even if he were to go away from Bharti, he still loved her madly. He was crazily in love with Bharti and rhere was simply nothing he could do about it.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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